1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to concentrated surfactant preparations of alkyl glycosides and alkyl sulfates in the form of stable, flowable and pumpable liquids and to their use as compounds for the production of liquid detergents.
2. Statement of Related Art
It has long been known that alkyl glycosides containing long-chain alkyl groups belong to the non-ionic surfactants. The expert also knows, as described for example in A. M. Schwartz, J. W. Perry, Surface Active Agents, Vol. I, Interscience Publishers, 1949, page 372, that surfactant mixtures generally have synergistic effects and often show better cleaning properties than would be obtained from the sum of the values of the individual components.
Detergents containing alkyl glycosides in combination with at least one typical anionic surfactant in a ratio of 1:10 to 10:1 are described in European patent application EP 070 074. Detergents containing alkyl glycosides and anionic surfactants are also known from European patent application EP 092 877. In addition, liquid detergents containing alkyl glycosides, certain other nonionic surfactants and anionic surfactants are known from European patent application EP 105 556. Liquid detergents containing alkyl glycosides and typical anionic surfactants are known from International patent application WO 86/02943. European patent application EP 132 043 describes a process for the production of alkyl glycosides using catalytic quantities of anionic surfactant in its acid form. According to European patent application EP 132 046, a production process such as this is modified by addition of certain bases after the actual reaction to neutralize the catalyst.
It is not apparent from any of the documents cited above that the properties of water-containing alkyl glycoside preparations, more particularly their flowability and also their cleaning performance, can be drastically improved by the addition of very small quantities of certain anionic surfactants.
In the production of liquid detergents, the individual components are generally used in the form of free-flowing solutions. The components intended for mixing to form the final detergent should have a high active substance content and, at the same time, should be easy to handle, in other words they should be free-flowing and easy to pump and should show high stability in storage. Alkyl glycosides normally accumulate in the form of highly viscous pastes.